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Helping

Your Child

Learn History

U.S. Department of Education


Rod Paige
Secretary
Office of Intergovernmental
and Interagency Affairs
Laurie M. Rich
Assistant Secretary

To order copies of this publication in English


or Spanish write to:
ED Pubs
Education Publications Center
U.S. Department of Education
P.O. Box 1398
Jessup, MD 20794-1398;

John McGrath
Senior Director for Community Services,
Partnerships and Recognition Programs

or fax your request to: 301-470-1244;

First published in May 1993.


Revised in June 2004.

or call in your request toll-free: 877-433-7827


(877-4-ED-PUBS). If 877 is not yet available in
your area, call 800-872-5327 (800-USA-LEARN).
Those who use a telecommunications device for
the deaf (TDD) or a teletypewriter (TTY), should
call 800-437-0833.

This booklet is in the public domain.


Authorization to reproduce it in whole or
in part for educational purposes is granted.
While permission to reprint this publication
is not necessary, the citation should be:
U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs,
Helping Your Child Learn History,
Washington, D.C., 2004.

or e-mail your request to: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.

or order online at:


www.edpubs.org/webstore/Content/search.asp.

Helping

Your Child
Learn History

with activities for children in preschool through grade 5

This publication is also available on the


Departments Web site at:
www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/hyc.html.
On request, this publication is available in
alternative formats, such as Braille, large print,
or computer diskette. For more information,
please contact the Departments Alternative
Format Center 202-260-9895 or 202-205-8113.
Childrens books are mentioned in this booklet as
examples and are only a few of many appropriate
childrens books. Other materials mentioned are
provided as resources and examples for the readers
convenience. Listing of materials and resources in
this book should not be construed or interpreted
as an endorsement by the Department of any
private organization or business listed herein.

U.S. Department of Education


Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs
with generous support from

Foreword

Contents

Imagine that you wake up one morning to find out you have no memory! Youre not
able to remember who you are or what happened in your life yesterday or the day
before that. Youre unable to recognize your children, and you cant communicate with
neighbors and other people because you no longer know how to greet them, and you
cant understand what they are saying. You dont remember what the words elections,
wars, or movies mean.

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
History Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Enjoying History With Your Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
How to Use This Booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Some Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
What Is History? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
A New Look at the Study of History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Geography: An Important Tool for Learning and Understanding History . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
History as Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Listen My Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Whats the Story? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
History Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Cooking Up History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Rub Against History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Our Heroes! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Learning How to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
All About Our Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
In the Right Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Whats News? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
History on the Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
History as Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
School Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Put Time in a Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Quill Pens & Berry Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Time Marches On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
The Past Anew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Weave a Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Time to Celebrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Its in the Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Working With Teachers and Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Federal Sources of Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Web Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Publications for Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Books for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Childrens Magazines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Just as having no personal memory deprives us of a sense of our own identity, having no
historical memory deprives us of a sense of our national identity and, in the words of Mrs.
Lynne V. Cheney, noted author and wife of the vice president of the United States, of a
perspective on human existence. Knowledge of U. S. history enables us to understand
our nations traditions, its conflicts, and its central ideas, values and organizing principles.
Knowledge of world history enables us to understand other cultures. In addition, without
historical memory, we miss a great source of enjoyment that comes from piecing together
the story of the pastour own, our nations and the worlds. Our historical memory is
enriched by our understanding of geography, which lets us better see the physical
context of cultures and environments around the world and across time.
Through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, President George W. Bush has made clear his
commitment to the goals of raising standards of achievement for all children and of
providing all children with highly qualified teachers and with instruction that is based on
scientific research. Helping Your Child Learn History is part of the presidents efforts to
provide families with the latest research and practical information that can help them to
support their childrens learning at home.

By showing interest in their childrens education, families can spark enthusiasm in them
and lead them to a very important understandingthat learning can be enjoyable as well
as rewarding and is well worth the effort required.
We hope that you find this booklet a valuable tool for developing and reinforcing your
childs interest in and knowledge of historyand that you and your family may increase
your appreciation for why such knowledge is important.

ii

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

iii

Introduction
Children are born into history. They have no
memory of it, yet they find themselves in the
middle of a story that began before they became
one of its characters. Children also want to have a
place in historytheir first historical questions
are: Where did I come from? and Was I always
here? These two questions contain the two main
meanings of history: Its the story of people and
events, and its the record of times past. And
because its to us that they address these questions, we are in the best
position to help prepare our children to achieve the lifelong task of
finding their place in history by helping them learn what shaped the
world into which they were born. Without information about their
history, children dont get a lot of what they hear and see around them.

A system of education that fails to nurture


memory of the past denies its students
a great deal: the satisfactions of mature
thought, an attachment to abiding concerns,
a perspective on human existence.
Mrs. Lynne V. Cheney
Author and Wife of U.S.
Vice President Dick Cheney

Although parents can be a positive force in helping their children develop


an interest in history, they also can undermine their childrens attitudes
by saying things such as: History is boring, or I hated history class
when I was in school. Although you cant make your child like history,
you can encourage her1 to do so, and you can take steps to ensure that
she learns to appreciate its value.
To begin, you can develop some of the following history habits that
show your child that history is important not only as a school subject but
in everyday life.

History Habits
Habits are activities that we do on a regular basis. We acquire habits by
choosing to make them a part of our life. Its worth the time and effort to
develop good habits because they enhance our well-being. The following
history habits can enrich your life experiences and those of your child.
1. Please note: In this booklet, we refer to a child as she in some places and he in others. We do this to make the booklet easier to read.
Please understand, however, that every point that we make is the same for boys and girls.

iv

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

Share family history with your child, particularly your own memories
of the people and places of your childhood. Encourage your parents and
other relatives to talk with your child about family history.
Read with your child about people and events that have made a
difference in the world and discuss the readings together. (The list of
publications in the Resources section at the end of this booklet can serve
as a starting point for choosing materials.)
Help your child know that the people who make history are real
people just like her, and that they have ideas and dreams, work hard
and experience failure and success. Introduce your child to local community
leaders in person if possible and to national and world leaders (both current
and those of the past) by means of newspapers, books, TV and the Internet.
Watch TV programs about important historical topics with your
family and encourage discussion about the program as you watch. Check
out library books on the same topic and learn more about it. See if the books
and TV programs agree on significant issues and discuss any differences.
Make globes, maps and encyclopedias (both print and online
versions) available to your child and find ways to use them often.
You can use a reference to Africa in your childs favorite story as an
opportunity to point out the continent on a globe. You can use the red,
white and green stripes on a box of spaghetti to help her find Italy on a map
and to learn more about its culture by looking it up in the encyclopedia.

Enjoying History With Your Child


As a parent, you can help your child want to
learn in a way no one else can. That desire to
learn is a key to your childs success, and, of
course, enjoyment is an important motivator for
learning. As you choose activities to do with
your child, remember that helping her to learn
history doesnt mean that you cant have a good time. In fact, you can
teach your child a lot through play. Here are some things to do to make
history both fun and productive for you and your child:

1. Use conversation to give your child confidence to learn.


Encouraging your child to talk with you about a topic, no matter how off
the mark he may seem, lets him know that you take his ideas seriously
and value his efforts to learn. The ability to have conversations with your
child profoundly affects what and how he learns.

2. Let your child know its OK to ask you questions.


If you cant answer all of her questions, thats all rightno one has all the
answers. Some of the best answers you can give are, Good question. How
can we find the answer? and Lets find out together. Together, you and
your child can propose possible answers and then check them by using
reference books and the Internet, or by asking someone who is likely to
know the correct answers.

3. Make the most of everyday opportunities.


Check out from your library or buy a collection of great speeches
and other written documents to read with your child from time to time.
As you read, pause frequently and try to restate the key points in these
documents in language that your child can understand.

Helping Your Child Learn History

Take advantage of visits from grandparents to encourage storytelling about


their livesWhat was school like for them? What was happening in the
country and the world? What games or songs did they like? What were
the fads of the day? Who are their heroes? On holidays, talk with your

Helping Your Child Learn History

Some Basics
child about why the holiday is observed, who (or what) it honors and
how and whether its observed in places other than the United States. At
ball games, talk about the flag and the national anthem and what they
mean to the country.

4. Recognize that children have their own ideas and interests.


By letting your child choose some activities that he wants to do, you let
him know that his ideas and interests have value. You can further
reinforce this interest by asking your child to teach you what he learns.

How to Use This Booklet


The major portion of this booklet is made up of activities that you can use
with your child to strengthen his history knowledge and build strong
positive attitudes toward history. And you dont have to be a historian or
have a college degree to do them. Your time and interest and the pleasure
that you share with your child as part of working together are what
matter most. Whats far more important than being able to give your child
a detailed explanation for the concepts underlying each activity is having
the willingness to do the activity with himto read, to ask questions, to
searchand to make the learning enjoyable.
In addition to activities, the booklet also includes:
Some information about the basics of history;
Practical suggestions for how to work with teachers and schools to
help your child succeed in school; and
A list of resources, such as federal sources of history, helpful Web
sites and lists of books for you and for your child.

Helping Your Child Learn History

What Is History?
Once upon a time . . . That opening for many favorite childrens tales
captures the two main meanings of historyits the story of people and
events, and its the record of times past. To better understand what history
is, lets look closer at each of these two meanings.

The Story in History


Unlike studying science, we study history without being able to directly
observe eventsthey simply are no longer in our presence. Doing
history is a way of bringing the past to life, in the best tradition of the
storyteller. We do this by weaving together various pieces of information
to create a story that gives shape to an event.
There are many possible stories about the same event, and there are good
storytellers and less good storytellers. Very rarely does one story say it all
or any one storyteller get it right. A good student of history, therefore,
tries to determine the true story by looking to see if a storyteller has
backed up her story with solid evidence and facts.
The history with which we are most familiar is political historythe story
of war and peace, important leaders and changes of government. But
history is more than that. Anything that has a past has a history, including
ideas, such as the idea of freedom, and cultural activities, such as music,
art or architecture.

Helping Your Child Learn History

Time in History

A New Look at the Study of History

Time in history is a kind of relationship. We can look at several events


that all happened at the same time and that together tell a story about a
particular part of the past. Or we can look at the development of an idea
over time and learn how and why it changed. We can consider the
relationship between the past and the present, or the future and the past
(which is today!). The present is the result of choices that people made
and the beliefs they held in the past.

Studying history is more than memorizing names


and dates. Although its important for citizens to
know about great people and events, the
enjoyment of history is often found in a story
well told. Here are some suggestions to make the
study of history more enjoyable:

As they prepare to study history, children first need basic knowledge


about time and its relationship to change. They need to learn the
measures of time, such as year, decade, generation and century. And they
need to learn and think about sequences of events as they occurred in
time. They need to be able to ask, About when did that happen? and to
know how to find the answer.
The main focus of history is the relationship between continuity and
change. Its important, therefore, that our children understand the
difference between them. For example, the population of the United
States has changed greatly over time with each wave of immigration. As
new groups of immigrants entered American society, they brought along
ideas, beliefs and traditions from their native lands. These new cultures
and traditions were woven into existing American culture, contributing to
its pattern of diversity and making our democratic system of government
even stronger. That system continues to evolve to better realize its original
purpose of safeguarding our basic human rights of freedom and equal
opportunity.

Helping Your Child Learn History

Original sources make history come alive.


Reading the actual words that changed the course
of history and stories that focus on the details of time and place helps
children know that history is about real people in real places who made
real choices that had some real consequences, and that these people could
have made different choices.
Less can mean more. An old proverb tells us that, A well-formed mind
is better than a well-stuffed mind. Trying to learn the entire history of
the world is not only impossible, it discourages children and reduces their
enthusiasm for history. In-depth study of a few important events gives
them a chance to understand the many sides of a story. They can always
add new facts.
History is hands-on work. Learning history is best done in the same
way that we learn to use a new language, or to play basketball: we do it as
well as read about it.
Doing history means asking questions about events, people and places;
searching our towns for signs of its history; talking with others about
current events and issues; and writing our own stories about the past.

Helping Your Child Learn History

Children do well to ask So what? Much that we take for granted is


not so obvious to children. We need to clarify for them the reasons we ask
them to remember certain things. They need to know why its important
to get the facts right. Encouraging children to ask, So what? can help
them understand whats worth knowingand whyand so help build
critical thinking skills. Being able to think critically prepares children to

judge the value of historical evidence;

judge claims about what is true or good;

be curious enough to look further into an event or topic;

be skeptical enough to look for more than one account of an event or


life; and

be aware that how we look at and think about things are often
shaped by our own biases and opinions.

make a lake, using sticks for bridges. The children name the streets, and
they may even use a watering can to make rain that washes away a
house. They may not realize it, but these children are learning some core
features of geographyhow people interact with the Earth, how climate
affects land, and how places relate to each other through the movement
of things from one place to another. When we turn to maps or globes as
we talk with our children about vacation plans, events happening around
the world or historical events, we teach them a great deal about
geography. Not only can such activities help our children learn how to use
key reference tools, but over time, they help them form their own mental
maps of the world, which allows children to better organize and
understand information about other people, places, times and events.

Geography: An Important Tool for Learning and


Understanding History
Geography affects historyjust look at the dramatic changes in world
geography over recent years. Governments change, and new countries are
born. Many countries no longer have the same names they did even five
years ago. Climate changes bring about events such as droughts and floods
that cause massive loss of life and migrations of people from one place to
another in search of safety. Environmental changes can change the entire
history of a community or region.
As with history, children have a natural interest in geography. Watch a
group of children playing in the sand. One child makes streets for his cars,
while a second child builds houses along the street. A third scoops out a
hole and uses the dirt to make a hill, then pours water in the hole to

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

Activities
The activities in this section are arranged into two groups that reflect the
meanings of history as story and time. Each group is preceded by a review
of three elements of story and time from the perspective of history. The
review is meant to give you information that can support your conversations with your child as you do the activities.
For each activity, youll see a grade spanfrom preschool through grade
5that suggests when children might be ready to try it. Of course,
children dont always become interested in or learn the same things at the
same time. And they dont suddenly stop enjoying one thing and start
enjoying another just because they are a little older. Youre the best judge
of which activity your child is ready to try. For example, you may find
that an activity listed for children in grades 1 or 2 works well with your
preschooler. On the other hand, you might discover that the same activity
may not interest your child until he is in grade 3 or 4.
In a box at the end of each activity, youll find questions to ask your child
about some part of the activity. These questions help your child develop
the critical thinking skills hell need to participate well in society, learn
history and learn from history.
When you choose or begin an activity, keep in mind that the reason for
doing it is to help your child learn something about history. Whatever the
specific purpose of the activity, make sure that its clear to your child. The
information in the introduction and the questions for each activity can
help you do this. After you complete each activity, discuss with your child
what they learned. For example, making bread is one thing, recognizing
breads historical meaning is another. An added bonus: achieving a goal
you set together at the beginning of an activity gives your child the
pleasure of a completed project.

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Helping Your Child Learn History

The materials you need for these activities are found around most homes.
Before starting the activities, give your child a notebooka history login
which he can record his own ideas and opinions about each activity. If
your child cant yet write, encourage him to draw pictures of what he
sees, or tell you what to write for him. In addition, you may want to keep
a camera nearby so that your child can include photographs in his history
log. You may also wish to have him decorate and label a shoebox to use
for keeping history-related items and project materials.
Finally, feel free to make changes in any activityshorten or lengthen it
to suit your childs interests and attention span.
We hope that you and your child enjoy the activities and that they inspire
you to think of additional activities of your own. Lets get started!

History as Story
The essential elements of history as story are records, narration and evidence.

Records
History is a permanent written record of the
past. In more recent times, history is also
recorded on film, video, audiotape and
through digital technology. You might tell
your child that the time before we had any
way to record events is called prehistory. It
was in prehistorical times that dinosaurs
walked the Earth. She should also know that
before written languages were invented, humans told stories as a way to
preserve their identity and important events in their lives. Over time,
however, the stories changed as details were forgotten or altered to fit a

Helping Your Child Learn History

11

new situation. Written languages allowed people to keep more accurate


records of who they were and what they did so this information could be
passed down from generation to generation.

Narration
Narration is storytelling, a way that people interpret events. History, with
its facts and evidence, is also an interpretation of the past. George
Washington, in his Farewell Address in 1796, said: Though in reviewing
the incidents of my administration I am unconscious of intentional error, I
am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I
may have committed many errors. Your child needs to be aware that
events can have more than one cause and can produce more than one
effect, or outcome, and that there is more than one way to look at the
relationship between cause and effect.

What You Need


Picture and read-aloud books about historical people, places and events
or with historical settings. For possible titles, see the list of books under
the Books for Children heading of the Resources section at the end of
this booklet.

What to Do

As you read, stop occasionally and ask your child to talk about a
character or what is happening in the book. Encourage her to ask
you questions if she doesnt understand something. Explain words
she may not know and point to objects that she may not recognize
and tell her what they are.
Show enthusiasm about reading. Read the book with expression.
Make it more interesting by talking as the characters would talk,
making sound effects and using facial expressions and gestures.

Evidence
All good histories are based on evidence. Your child needs to learn the
importance of evidence, and she needs the critical thinking skills to evaluate
historical accounts and to determine whether the they are based on solid
evidence or rely too heavily on personal interpretation and opinion.

Listen My Children
PreschoolGrade 1
A great way for young children to develop an interest in history is for parents
to make books with history themes a part of their reading-aloud routines.

12

Helping Your Child Learn History

Talk with your child about the book youre going to read to her. Have
her look at the pictures and notice costumes, types of transportation,
houses and other things that show that the book isnt about modern
times. Talk with her about historythe story of past times.

Help your child develop a library habit.


Begin making weekly trips to the library
when she is very young. See that she gets
her own library card as soon as possible.
Many libraries issue cards to children as
soon as they can print their names (youll
also have to sign for your child).
Regularly choose books with history
themes to check out and read at home
with her. And, when she is old enough,
encourage her to continue this habit.

Helping Your Child Learn History

13

After reading a book with a historical theme, encourage your child to


make up a play for the family based on the book. If possible, allow
her to wear a costume or use props that are mentioned in the story.

Remember the time that Uncle Jack decided to help us by fixing


that leaky faucet in our kitchen? Then go clockwise around and
have each person add to the story. Set a time limit, say three times
around the circle so that you must end the story somewhere. Talk
about the story. Are there any disagreements about what really
happened and what was just opinionor just added on for fun? If
so, how can you settle any differences of opinion about what really
happened?

Lets Talk About It


As you read a book to your child, stop occasionally to ask questions
such as the following:
How do you know this character lived long ago? How is this school
different from our schools today? Do you know what game these
children are playing? Why did the boy decide to join the Army? Can
boys that young join the Army today?

Whats the Story?


PreschoolGrade 5
Good history is a story well told. Through storytelling, children are introduced
to whats involved in writing the stories that make history. They begin to
understand that different people may tell the same story in different ways.

What You Need

Read aloud a fairy tale or folk tale. You might choose, for example,
Little Red Riding Hood or The Story of Johnny Appleseed (for more titles,
check the Resources section at the end of this booklet). Talk with
your child about how the story begins and ends, who the characters
are and what they feel and what happens in the story. Ask him how
a made-up story is different from the story you told about the real
person you know.

Pick a moment in history, for example the fall of the Berlin Wall, the
storming of the Bastille in France, the assassination of President
Abraham Lincoln or a current event in the news. Take your child to
your local library and ask the childrens librarian to help you choose
books and other materials about the event that are age-appropriate
for your child. Read the book aloud with a young child; for an older
child, have him read it aloud to you or read it on his own and then
talk with him about the book.

Family members and friends


A book of fairy tales or folk tales

Lets Talk About It

What to Do

14

Gather your child and other family members in a circle and have a
storytelling session. Choose a person that you all know wella
relative, friend or neighbor. Begin a group story about that person,
explaining that nobody can interrupt the story. Say, for example,

Helping Your Child Learn History

Ask your child:


If you were a TV reporter when the event you read about happened,
what would you tell your audience about it? What else would you
include? Where would you get your information? How would you
check its accuracy?
Helping Your Child Learn History

15

History Lives
PreschoolGrade 5
At living history museums children can see people doing the work of
blacksmiths, tin workers, shoemakers, weavers and others. They can see
how things used to be made and learn how work and daily life have
changed over time.

When you get home, ask your child what his favorite object or
activity is and why. Talk with your child about what it would have
been like to live in that historical place in that period of time. Your
family might pretend to be living in the historical place. Try
spending an evening long ago, without using electrical lights
and other appliances such as TVs and microwave ovens. How is
life without those luxuries different from your life today?

What You Need


Visitor brochures and museum maps
Sketch pad and pencils, or camera

What to Do

Plan a visit to a living history museum with


your child. Write or call the museum ahead of
time to obtain information brochures and a
map. Well-known living history museums are
located in Williamsburg, Va., and Old
Sturbridge Village, Mass., but smaller museums
can be found in many other places across the
country. If you cant visit a museum, travel there by reading books or
conducting virtual tours on the Internet.
Talk with your child about the information in the brochures and
what he can expect to see at the museum. Make sure that he
understands that what he will see is life the way it was once
actually livednot make-believe.
Help your child sketch something in the museum and put it in his
history log. Tell him that drawings were the way events were
visually recorded before there were cameras.
Use your camera to make a modern record of history and create a
scrapbook with the photographs of what you saw.

16

Helping Your Child Learn History

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
How were days spent in the period of time you experienced? What kind of
dress was common, or special? What kinds of food did people usually eat,
and did they eat alone or in groups? What kind of work would you have
chosen to do as an adult? If a living history museum were made of life
today, what would people of the future see and learn there? Would you
rather live long ago or now? Why?

Cooking Up History
KindergartenGrade 5
Every culture has its version of bread. Children enjoy making this Native
American fry bread. (Check the Bibliography and Resources sections of
this booklet for books that contain other recipes from history.)

What You Need


2 1/2 cups all-purpose or wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

Helping Your Child Learn History

17

1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried skimmed milk powder
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Oil for frying
Mixing bowls and spoons, spatula
Large skillet
Cloth towels
Baking sheet
Paper towels

smooth (1 or 2 minutes). Add 1 tablespoon of flour if the dough is


too soft.
Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands about 30 seconds.
Cover it with a cloth and let it sit 10 minutes.
Line the baking sheet with paper towels to receive the finished
loaves.
Divide the dough into eight sections. Take one section and keep
the rest covered in the bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and flatten
with your hand. Then roll it into a very thin circle 8 to 10 inches
across. The thinner the dough, the puffier the bread will be. Cover
this circle with a cloth. Continue with the other seven sections of
dough in the same way.
In the large frying pan or skillet, pour vegetable oil to about 1 inch
deep. As you begin to roll the last piece of dough, turn on the
heat under the skillet. When the oil is hot, slip in a circle of
dough. Fry for about 1 minute or until the bottom is golden
brown. Turn the dough over with tongs or a spatula. Fry the other
side for 1 minute.
Put the fry bread on the baking sheet and continue with the other
rounds of dough.
Eat your fry bread while its hot and crisp. Put honey on it if you like.

What to Do

Talk with your child about Native American peoplesthat they lived
in what is now the United States for thousands of years before nonnative peoples came here, and that many tribes still live throughout
the United States.

Read a book with your child about Native American life, both long
ago and today, either fiction or nonfiction. With an older child,
search the Internet for Native tribes, such as Blackfeet, Chippewa and
Navajo. Explore Web sites to learn about tribes geographic locations,
tribal activities and programs.

Have your child help you gather all of the ingredients listed above.
For a younger child, talk about what youre doing as you complete
each step in the recipe. Your older child can complete the steps as
you read them aloud. Reminder: Youll need to supervise your child
closely, regardless of his age, as you work around a hot stove!
Follow this recipe:
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In
a small bowl, stir together the dried milk, water and vegetable oil.
Pour this liquid over the dry ingredients and stir until the dough is

18

Helping Your Child Learn History

Help your child to use the Internet or reference books to find out
more about the role of bread in human history.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
How is this bread different from the breads you usually eat?
What place does bread have in our daily lives and in the lives of
people in other cultures?
Helping Your Child Learn History

19

Rub Against History

Take your child on a walk around the neighborhood. Look for objects
that he can use for rubbings, such as dates in the sidewalk, words on
cornerstones and plaques on buildings or interesting designs on
bricks or other materials used on buildings. Once home, ask family
members to view the rubbings and guess what each represents. Ask
your child to tell the story behind the rubbings and why he chose to
make them.

Consider taking your older child to cemeteries or memorial sites


around town and make rubbings of old gravestones or markers. Talk
with him about each rubbing. Tell him to look for designs and dates
and ask him questions to make sure that he knows how old the
objects are.

Encourage your child to cut out some of his rubbings and include
them in his history log.

Grades 13
Younger children find making rubbings great fun. Cornerstones and
plaques are interesting, and even coins will do.

What You Need


Tracing paper or other lightweight paper
Large crayons with the paper removed, fat lead pencil, colored pencils, or
artists charcoal
Coins

What to Do

20

Use the list above to help your child


make a kit to do rubbings. Choose paper
that does not tear easily, but also is light
enough so that the details of the rubbing
will be visible.

Begin by having your child make a


rubbing of a quarter or half dollar (large
coins from other countries or commemorative coins can be
interesting to use, too). Tape the coin to a surface to make it stable.
Double the tape so that it sticks on both sides and place it on the
bottom of the coin. Attach the coin to a piece of wood or to some
surface that cant be harmed by the tape. Lay the paper on top of the
coin, and have your child rub across it with a pencil, crayon or
charcoal. Tell him not to rub too hard and to keep rubbing until the
coins marks show up on the paper. Talk with him about what the
rubbing shows.

Helping Your Child Learn History

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
What showed up in your rubbings? What did the date and designs
commemorate? Historical preservation groups in America have
worked to preserve old buildings and to install plaques on public
historical places. Do you think that this is important work? Why
have humans left their marks on the world from early cave
drawings to todays monuments, such as the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial? If you made a monument, what would it be? Who or
what would it help people to remember or honor?
Helping Your Child Learn History

21

Our Heroes!

Grades 35
Heroes are everywhere. Sharing stories about them with children can help
them understand that heroes come from many different walks of life and
that their courageous acts occur in many different places and times.

Show your child pictures of historical figures who have been called
heroes. Choose people whom you admire and feel comfortable
talking about with your child. Choose groups as well, such as the
abolitionists who opposed slavery before the Civil War or the people
who participated in the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

What You Need

Lets Talk About It

Family photographs; newspaper and pictures from books or the Internet of


both local and national figures who have been recognized for community
service, bravery or selfless acts

Ask your child:


What does it mean to be a hero? Is it easy and fun to be
a hero? What qualities do heroes seem to have? Who are
your heroes? Why? What would you like to tell one of
your heroes?

What to Do

22

Select a photo of someone in your family who has an admirable


quality or who performed a courageous act. You might choose a
grandparent who left everything behind to immigrate to the United
States or your mother who sacrificed so that you could have a good
education or your father who fought in a war or your brother who
took a stand on a controversial issue. Sit with your child and tell him
about the relatives life. Talk with him about the qualities of heroism
that the relative showedcourage, self-discipline, responsibility,
citizenship and so forth.
Show your child newspaper pictures of local people who have
performed acts of courage or service to the community. Talk with
him about what the people did and why they are considered heroes.
In addition to individuals, choose groups of people who have been
called heroes, such as firefighters and policemen.

Helping Your Child Learn History

Learning How to Learn


Grades 35
Local newspapers, phone books and other handy resources can serve as
guides to local history. Teaching children how to use them gives them a
great tool for finding many sources of information.

What You Need


Phone books, both yellow and white pages
Local newspapers

Helping Your Child Learn History

23

What to Do

Help your child make a list of her interests.


Include the sports, hobbies, history topics,
animals and music she likes.

With your child, look through your local


newspapers for lists of things to do in the
community. Look for parades, museum and
art exhibits, music events, childrens theater,
history talks, guided walks through
historical districts or tours of historical
homes. Choose an event in which you can
both participate.

Sit with your child and show her how to use the phone book to find
information. For example, in the yellow pages, look for the heading
Museums. Talk with your child about the places that you find listed
thereWhat different kinds of museums are listed? Are they
nearby? Look especially for history museums.
Brainstorm with your child about what other headings you might
look under to find information about local history. Try, for
example, Historical Societies. (If your phone book has a special
section of information about community services and points of
interest, look there as well.)
Call the historical museums and societies that you find. Ask about
their programs for children, their hours and upcoming special
events. Also ask where else you should go to learn about your
towns history.
Have your child listen to your phone conversation and model for
her how to ask for information.

24

Helping Your Child Learn History

Have your child begin a list in her history log of local historical sites.
Tell her to include phone numbers, addresses, hours of operation and
other useful information for future visits.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
If you were asked to be a tour guide for visitors to our
town, what would you show them? If you went to
another town, how would you go about finding out
about its past?

All About Our Town


Grades 35
A good place for children to begin to develop an interest in history is to
find out the history of where they live.

What You Need


Guides and histories of your town or city

What to Do

With your child, research the history of the town, city or area in
which you live. Begin by asking your child what he already knows,
then ask him to make some predictions about what you will find out
regarding when your area was first settled, who the first settlers
were, where they came from, and why they chose to settle in the
area. Help him to record these predictions in his history log.

Helping Your Child Learn History

25

Go with your child to the local library, or


sit with him at a computer, and look for
historical reference materialslocal
histories and guidebooks, articles in
regional historical magazines, and so
forth (your librarian can direct you to
good sources of information). As you
work, talk with your child about what
youre finding.
Afterwards, talk with your child about what you found out.

In the Right Direction

As part of this activity, focus your childs attention on your areas


geography as it played a part in its history. Was it settled because its
on a waterway? Did it grow into a large town because of its location?
its climate? Did industry develop there because coal, oil or copper
deposits were nearby?

What to Do

Grades 35
In order to talk and learn about places, and to locate themselves and
others in terms of place, children need to understand and be able to name
geographic directions.

What You Need


Maps of your state, a globe or atlas
Blank paper and crayons or colored pencils

Sit with your younger child at a table or


on the floor so that you can both see a
map of your state. Point out where you
live, explain the directional signs on the
map: north, south, east and west. Mention several nearby towns or
cities that your child has visited or knows about. Point to one of
these and say, for example, Granddad lives here, in Memphis. Thats
north of our town. Have your child use her finger to trace the line
from your location to that place. Continue by pointing out places
that are south, east and west of your location. When your child
catches on to directions, ask her to point to places that are north,
south, east and west of where she lives.

For your older child, make the map activity into a game. When you
have made sure that she understands directions, pick a place on the
map and give clues about its location, for example, Im looking at a
city that is west of St. Louis and east of Kansas City. (You can also
name rivers, lakes, mountains or other geographic features that can

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
What is the most surprising thing you learned about our towns
history? Whats the most interesting old building that you found?
Were there any historical markers or monuments that you discovered
in our town? Who is your favorite person to talk to for stories about
our towns past?

26

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

27

be seen on the map.) When your child gets the right answer, have
her choose a place and give directional clues for you to use to find it.

As part of your childs study of national and world history, help her
to use an atlas or globe to locate places mentioned in her textbook.
Help to make directional words a part of your childs vocabulary by
using them yourself in daily conversation. Rather than saying,
Were turning right at the next corner, say, Were turning east at
the next corner. Encourage her to use the words as well.
Give your child blank paper and crayons or colored pencils and ask
her to draw a map of your neighborhood showing important
buildings and landmarks (churches, schools, malls, statues, rivers,
hills and so on). Remind her to include an indicator of direction on
the map. After shes finished, talk with her about what the map
shows and have her give specific descriptions about the locations of
various places on it.

Whats News?
Grades 35
Whats new today really began in the past. Discussing the news is a way to
help children gain a historical perspective on the events of the present.

What You Need


Newspapers
Weekly news magazine
A daily national TV news program
Atlas or globe
Highlighter

What to Do
This activity can be most useful to
younger children if its done from time
to time to get them used to the idea of news. Older children benefit
from doing it more often, at least once a week if possible.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
Why is it important to be able to read a map or use a
globe? How can knowing something about locations
help you in studying history?

Look through the daily newspaper or a recent news magazine with


your child. Ask her to decide what pictures or headlines have some
connection to history. For example, a news story about the signing of
a peace treaty might also show pictures of similar events, such as the
signing of the Yalta treaty, from the past. A story about the current
Russian leader might give a historical overview and show pictures of
Lenin, Stalin and Khrushchev. A story on a Supreme Court ruling
that affects school integration might have a headline that mentions
the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Use a highlighter to mark
these references.
With your child, read the articles youve chosen. Make a list (or
have her do it) of any references to events that did not happen
today or yesterday, or to people who died some time ago.

28

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

29

Talk with your child about what these past events and people have
to do with events happening today. Help her record these
connections in her history log.
Watch the evening news or a morning news program with your
child. Help her to write as many references as possible to past history.
Discuss the links she finds between these references and the news
story you heard. In an atlas or on a globe, help her point out where
the stories she watched took place.

During another session of TV viewing, help your child focus on how


the information was communicated: did the newscaster use
interviews, books, historical records, written historical accounts,
literature, paintings, photographs? Did the newscaster report facts?
Did she express opinions?
Help your child compare several accounts of a major news story from
different news shows, newspapers and news magazines.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
Did you find anything new in the news? What same old
stories did you find? Whats the difference between fact
and opinion?

30

Helping Your Child Learn History

History on the Go
Grades 35
Visiting the historical places that children
read about in their history books
reinforces for them that history is about
real people, places and events.

What You Need


Your childs history book
Maps, guidebooks

What to Do

Find out what historical events your child is studying in school. Then
check to see if a place related to those events is nearby and arrange
to visit it with your child. If such a place isnt nearby, arrange for a
virtual visit by looking for age-appropriate Web sites. See the list of
helpful Web sites in the Resources section at the end of this booklet.
Many of them contain links that provide tours of battlegrounds,
homes, museums and other places of historical interest.
Whether your visit is real or virtual, work with your child to
prepare for it together. You might, for example, ask your local
librarian to help you and your child find books, DVDs and
videotapes about the history of the place you plan to visit or about
the historical figures who lived there.
Call the visitor information centers for the area and ask to be sent
maps and specially prepared guidebooks (you can usually find
such centers through Internet searches or by consulting travel
books in your local library).

Helping Your Child Learn History

31

Study maps or the area with your child. Talk with her about the
best way to get from your home to the site. As you travel, have
her follow the route on the map.
Help your child make a list of questions to ask on your trip.
Talk with her about the place youre visiting.
After the visit, have your child make up a quiz for you, or a game,
that is based on what she learned during the trip.
Encourage your child to read more about the place you visited and
the people who were part of its history. Especially encourage your
older child to find historical documents that are associated with
the site. For example, if you visit the site of the Ohio Womens
Rights Convention in 1851, which is in Akron, Ohio, you might
have him reador read to himSojourner Truths address,
known also as And aint I a Woman?

Ask your child to identify any geographical features of the site you
visited that played a part in the historical event she studied. If, for
example, you visit a Civil War battlefield, you might point out its
name and tell your child that the two sides in the war often gave
battles different names. The Union side usually chose names that
referred to a nearby body of water, such as a river, while the
Confederate side named the battle by the nearest town. So, the battle
called Antietam by the Union side (referring to a creek of that
name) was called Sharpsburg by the Confederate side (referring to
the Maryland town that was nearby).

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
What was historical about the place you visited? What kinds of things
communicated the history of the place? Did the visit make you see our
town in a new way? Even though the place we visited was not in our
town, did it make you think of something historical from where we live?

32

Helping Your Child Learn History

History as Time
The essential elements of history as time are chronology, empathy
and context.

Chronology
Although our children need the opportunity to study historical events in
depth to get an understanding of them, they also need to know the time
sequence of those events as well as the names of the people and places
associated with them. When we are able to locate events in time, we are
better able to learn the relationships among them. What came first? What
was cause, and what was effect? Without a sense of chronological order,
events seem like a big jumble, and we cant understand what happened in
the past. Its important that children be
able to identify causes of events such as
economic depressions and to understand
the effects of those events. These are skills
that are crucial to critical thinking and to
being productive and informed citizens.

Empathy
Empathy is the ability to imagine ourselves
in the place of other people and times. To
accurately imagine ourselves in the place
of people who lived long ago, we must
have an idea of what it was like to be there. This requires learning about
both the world in which a person lived and that persons reactions to the
world. For example, in studying the westward expansion across our
country, children need to be aware of how very difficult travel was in that

Helping Your Child Learn History

33

time. They may ask why people didnt just take airplanes to avoid the
dangers they faced on the wagon trails. When parents explain that people
then couldnt fly because airplanes hadnt yet been invented, children
may ask why not. They need an understanding of how technology
develops and of the technology that was available at the time of a
historical event. Just knowing the physical surroundings of a person at a
point in time, however, doesnt allow children to develop empathy. Stories
and documents that tell us about peoples feelings and reactions to events
in their lives allow us to recognize the human feelings we share with
people across space and time. Helping children find and use original
source documents from the past, such as diaries, journals and speeches,
gives them a way to learn to see events through the eyes of people who
were there.

School Days
KindergartenGrade 3
A good way to introduce children to history is to let them know how
schoola main focus of their liveshas changed over the years.

What You Need


Map of the United States
Crayons or colored pencils

What to Do

Talk with your child about what


school was like when you were
a child. Include how schools
looked physically; the
equipment teachers used; what
subjects you studied; what
choices you faced; and your
favorite teachers and activities.
If possible, show family
photographs of yourself or other family members participating in
school activitiesplaying a sport, cheerleading, giving a speech,
winning an award, talking with classmates, working in a science lab
and so forth. Have your child notice such things as clothing and hair
styles, the way the school building or classroom looked, the
equipment being used. Have her compare the schools characteristics
with that of her own.

Join your child in exploring what school was like 50 or 100 years
ago. Ask your librarian for help in looking this up, talk to older
relatives and neighbors and use the Internet. Again, include
photographs when possible.

Context
Context is related to empathy. Context means weave together, and
refers to the set of circumstances in several areas that surround an event.
To understand any historical period or event children should know how to
weave together politics (how a society was governed), sociology (what
groups of people formed the society), economics (how people worked and
what they produced), place (where the events happened) and religion,
literature, the arts and philosophy (what people valued and believed at
the time). When children try to understand the American Civil Rights
movement, for example, they will uncover a complex set of events. And
they will find that these events draw their meaning from their context.
History means having a grand old time with new stories. So, as you and
your child do the following activities, help him to think about the
relationship between history and time.

34

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

35

With your older child talk about some of the history of work in
America and explain how it affects schooling. Tell her, for
example, that many years ago, when America was a largely
agricultural society, children were needed at home to help plant
and harvest crops. Because of this, children often didnt go to
school every day, or at all in the summer. In addition, the school
year was more or less matched to the time of year that was less
busy on farmsthe late fall and winter months.
Next explain that when America was switching from an agricultural to a manufacturing society, some children worked long days
in factories, doing hard, dangerous jobs. Eventually, laws were
passed to keep factories from using children to do dangerous
work. Along with these child labor laws, other laws were passed
that officially required children to go to school until a certain age.

Ask your child to imagine what school will be like in the future. Your
younger child may want to use blocks to build a future schoolhouse,
and your older child may want to draw or write about theirs.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
What has remained the same about school from the past to the
present? What has changed? If you could be the head of a school 20
years from now, what would you keep and what would you change
based on your current school? How would you go about making
these changes?

36

Helping Your Child Learn History

Put Time in a Bottle


KindergartenGrade 3
Collecting things from their lifetimes and putting them in a time capsule is
a history lesson that children will never forget.

What You Need


Magazines or newspapers
Sealable container
Camera
Tape or other sealant

What to Do

Talk with your child about time capsules. Explain that when
buildings such as schools, courthouses and churches are built, people
often include a time capsulea special container into which they
place items that can tell about their lives and times to future
generations who open the container.
Tell your child that you want to help him make his own personal
time capsule. Talk with him about what he might want to put in
it. Ask, for example, what things he might include to give people
of the distant future a good idea of what he was like and what the
time he lives in was like.
Have him use a simple camera to take pictures of a few important
objects in his lifea favorite CD, poster or pair of shoes; a baseball
bat, football jersey or basketball; his computer, music player or cell
phone. Have him locate and add magazine pictures of games and
toys; cars, airplanes and other types of transportation; different
kinds of sporting events; and clothes. Next have him locate
examples of slang, ads for movies and TV shows, and selections
from important speeches, poetry and stories or novels. Also help

Helping Your Child Learn History

37

him find stories about current heroes and local, national and world
events; and accounts of current issues and crises. Finally have him
write a letter to someone in the future that describes life today.
Call the family together and have your child do a show and tell
of the items hes collected.
Once everyone is satisfied with the collection, help your child label
the items with his name and with any other information that will
help those who find them understand how they are significant to
the history of our time.
Have him place the items in a container, seal the container and
find a place to store it.
Have him write in his history log a short description of what he
has done and record the date. Encourage him to draw a map that
shows the location of the time capsule and to use the correct
directional words to label it.

Try to find news stories (your local newspaper, library or local


historical society or museum can often direct you to such stories)
about the opening of such a capsule in your area and what was in it.
If possible, take your child to look at the contents of an opened time
capsuleperhaps at your local historical society or museum. Also try
to locate buildings in your area that contain unopened time capsules.
Take your child to see the buildings and point out the cornerstones
the places in which most capsules are placed. Talk with him about
the information on the cornerstone.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
What did the collection of items tell you about the period in
which we live? Did the items tend to be of a certain type?

38

Helping Your Child Learn History

Quill Pens & Berry Ink


Grades 13
History depends on writing, and writing has changed over time from
scratches on clay to digitalized codes and letters.

What You Need


For quill pen:
feather, scissors, a paper clip
For berry ink:
1/2 cup of ripe berries (blueberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries,
or raspberries work well), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar, food
strainer, bowl, wooden spoon, small jar with tight-fitting lid
Paper
Paper towels

What to Do

Place the berries in the strainer and


hold it over the bowl. Have your
child use the wooden spoon to
crush the berries against the
strainer so that the juice drips into
the bowl. When all the juice is out
of the berries, throw the pulp
away. Tell your child to add the salt
and vinegar to the berry juice and stir it well. If the ink is too thick,
have him add a teaspoon or two of water (not too much or hell lose
the color). Help him to pour the juice into a small jar and close it
with a tight-fitting lid. (Note: Make only as much ink as you will use
at one time, because it will dry up quickly.)

Helping Your Child Learn History

39

Have your child watch as you form the pen point by cutting the fat
end of the feather on an angle, curving the cut slightly. (Note: A
good pair of scissors is safer than a knife. But play it safe, and always
do the cutting yourself.) Clean out the inside of the quill so that the
ink will flow to the point. Use the end of a paper clip if needed. You
may want to cut a center slit in the point; however, if you press too
hard on the pen when you write, it may split.
Give the quill pen to your child and tell him to dip just the tip in the
ink. Keep a paper towel handy to use as an ink blotter. Allow him to
experiment by drawing lines and curves and by making designs and
single letters. Show him how to hold the pen at different angles to
get different effects.
Have him practice signing his name, John Hancock style, with the
early American letters shown below. Then have him write his
signature in his history log.
Have him write his name again, using a pen or pencil. Talk with
him about how the signatures are alike and different.

Time Marches On
Grades 25
The stories of history have beginnings, middles and ends that show events
and suggest causes and effects. Making personal timelines can help
children understand these elements. They allow children to use events in
their own lives to gain a sense of time, to understand the sequence in
which things happen and to see connections between causes and effects.

What You Need


Large sheet of paper (butcher paper,
for example)
Yardstick and ruler
Shelf paper
Colored pencils or crayons
Removable tape

What to Do

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
Why do we write? When do people in our family use writing? What
written things do you see every day? What are their different
purposes? What effect do different writing tools have on writing, for
example quill pens, ballpoint pens, typewriters and computers?

40

Helping Your Child Learn History

Sit with your younger child at a table. On a piece of paper, draw a


vertical line. Explain that this is a time line. Use different colored
pencils or crayons to make straight marks on the line in even
intervals and label the marks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and so forth. Explain
to your child that each mark is a year in his life.
Beneath the first mark, write I was born. Then point to another
mark and ask your child what he remembers about that year in
his life. Help him to choose one important event from that year,
then think of a label to write. Continue with the remaining years,
filling in events for those early years that he cant recall.
Review the timeline. Allow your child to erase and change an
event for a particular year if he remembers one that he thinks is
more important. (Tell him that historians also rethink their choices
when they study history.)
Helping Your Child Learn History

41

Have your older child make a timeline poster by placing a long piece
of shelf paper on the floor. Have her use a yardstick to draw a line
that is three feet long.
Talk with your child about important dates in her lifethe day she
was born; her first day of kindergarten, of first grade; the day her
best friend moved in next door; and so forth. Tell her to write the
dates on the line. Invite her to add dates that are important for
the whole familythe day her baby sister was born, the day her
favorite uncle got married, the day the family moved to a new
place, the day a grandparent died and so on. If appropriate photos
are available, have her add them to the timeline.
For a horizontal timeline, use removable tape to fasten the paper
to the wall, making sure its placed at a level that is easy for your
child to see and continue working on. For a vertical timeline,
hang the paper next to the doorway in your childs room.
Display the finished timeline and ask your child to tell other
family members and friends what it shows.
Have your child expand her timeline by adding events that were
happening in the world at the same time as each event of her life.
Help her use the Internet or the librarys collection of newspapers
to find and record the headlines for each of her birthdays.

The Past Anew


Grades 35
Reenactments of historical battles or periods, such as colonial times, make
our nations history come alive
and get children involved.

What You Need


A library card
Local newspapers
Phone book

What to Do

Explain to your child what reenactments arepeople dressing in the


costumes of and acting out what life was like at some earlier time. With
him, find out whether and where local reenactments are held by looking
in your local newspaper or calling your local historical society, a state
park or the National Park Service. If possible, choose a reenactment to
visit. Prepare your child by taking him to a local museum or historical
site that relates to the reenactment, by watching a TV program about the
event or period or by searching for information about it on the Internet.
Attend the reenactment and participate.
Askand encourage your child to askthe re-enactors questions
about anything, from why they wear particular kinds of hats to
the meanings of the event or period for the development or
transformation of America.

Lets Talk About It


Lets Talk About It
Ask your child:
What is the most important event on the timeline? What effects did the
event have on your life? What are the connections between the events in
your life and world events?

42

Helping Your Child Learn History

Ask your child:


What was unusual or interesting about the reenactment? What role did each
of the re-enactors play? If there was conflict, what was shown or said about its
causes and effects? What obstacles did the characters face? How did they
overcome them? What is the difference between the real thing and a
performance of it? What did you learn from the performance?
Helping Your Child Learn History

43

Weave a Web

Help her draw a web. Begin by placing the name of the place she studied
in the middle (like the spider who weaves a home). Then have her
draw several lines (strands) from the middle to show the major events
in the life of the place. To finish, have her connect the strands with cross
lines to show other related events. When the web is complete, talk with
your child about the relationships among the strands.

Have your child send her web to the editor of your local newspaper
and ask to have it published. She can write about the web and ask
readers to contribute more information to add to it. Tell her that this
is exactly how real history is written!

Newspapers often include timelines of events. Point these out to your


child and talk with him about what they show.

Grades 45
A history web is a way of connecting people and events.

What You Need


Large piece of paper or poster board (at least 3 1/2 ft. x 2 1/2 ft.)
Colored pencils, crayons or markers

What to Do

As you walk around your neighborhood with your child, point out
interesting buildings, statues or other features. For example, you
might pick a place in your community that has always seemed
mysterious to youan old ball field; a store, strange house or
courthouse; a church, fountain, monument, clock or school building.
Have your child study the place and write in her history log what she
sees and hears. For example, have her look for plaques, engravings
or other marks on buildings, such as dates and designs, or for
unusual features, such as bleachers, windows or bell towers.
Help her to find information about the place by asking a librarian
for resources, by searching the archives of the local newspaper, or
by using the Internet. Tell her to be on the lookout for events that
happened there, such as athletic records that might have been set
or visits by a famous person. Also have her look for things that
changed the place, such as the addition or removal of rooms, stairs
or parking lots.

44

Help your child locate people who have lived in your town a long
time. Arrange for her to interview them using questions about the
place she studied and the events surrounding it, and about any
important events in the towns history that they remember.

Helping Your Child Learn History

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
When was the place you picked built? How is the place you picked
connected to other events in history?
Helping Your Child Learn History

45

Time to Celebrate
Grades 45
On quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies is written the phrase E pluribus
unum, which is Latin for Out of many, one. It is an appropriate phrase
to describe how our country has developed and the many different people
and groups who have made it so great.

What You Need


U.S. coins
Map of the world
Calendar

What to Do

46

Have your child look at U.S. coins for


the phrase E pluribus unum.
Explain that the phrase means Out
of many, one, and that it refers to
our country as one nation with many
peoples and cultures. Explain that it
isnt our families ethnic heritages that bind us together as
Americans, but shared democratic values.
With your child, talk about the following holidays that are celebrated
in the United States. Look at a calendar and add other holidays, if
you choose. Next to each holiday write (or have her write) when its
celebrated and what it celebrates.

Helping Your Child Learn History

New Years Day

January 1

New beginning

Martin Luther King


Jr.s Birthday

January 15

Birth of a leader

Presidents Day

Third Monday of February

Originally, honored
Presidents Lincoln and
Washington; currently
honors all U.S. presidents

Memorial Day

Last Monday of May

War dead

Independence Day

July 4

Adoption of the
Declaration of
Independence in 1776

Labor Day

First Monday of September

Working people

Columbus Day

Second Monday of October

Landing of Columbus in
the Bahamas in 1492

Veterans Day

November 11

War veterans

Thanksgiving Day

Fourth Thursday in November

Day of thanks for divine


goodness

Christmas Day

December 25

Birth of Christ

When you are talking about holidays, take the opportunity to read
original source materials related to them. For example: on Presidents
Day, read one of the great presidential speeches such as President
Lincolns Gettysburg Address or President Kennedys Ask Not What
Your Country Can Do for You inaugural address; on Martin Luther
Kings Day read his I Have a Dream speech. Talk with your child
about the meaning of each speech.

Helping Your Child Learn History

47

Encourage your child to find out about national holidays that are
celebrated in other nations. Classmates, neighbors and relatives from
other countries are good sources of information.

Invite your child to think and talk about other important holidays
that she thinks our nation should celebrate. Are their any people she
thinks deserve to have a holiday of their own? Any group of people?
Any event that needs to be celebrated that isnt?

Discuss with your child your familys personal celebrations, and have
her write in her history log about these special days.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
What kinds of accomplishments or events do we celebrate in America?
What similarities and differences did you find between American
holidays and holidays celebrated by people from other countries?

Its in the Cards


Grades 45
Many children dont like to study history in school because they are asked
to memorize so many dates and names. Parents can helpand make
learning more enjoyableby using games to reinforce what their children
are learning in history class.

What You Need


Your childs history book
Index cards or sheets of heavy paper cut into cards

48

Helping Your Child Learn History

What to Do

Find out what events your child is


currently studying in school. Use
information from her textbook to make a
set of cards. On one card, write the name
of a historical figure; on a second card,
write the events for which that figure is
known in history; and on a third card,
write the date(s) for the event. Do this for
four or five figures from the time being studied.

Use the cards to review with your child, helping her to name each
figure and match it with the events and dates.
When your child is comfortable with the cards, shuffle them and
deal an equal number to your child and to yourself. Choose one of
your cards and read it aloud. Say, for example, Harriet Tubman.
If your child has the event (Underground Railroad) or date
(1863the year she freed more than 700 slaves in a raid), she
must give you the card. If she has the card, she must give it to
you, and you continue asking for cards. If she doesnt have the
card, the turn goes to her, and she asks you for a card. Continue
until one of you has no cards left.
Ask your child to think of other ways to use card games to learn
more about history.

Lets Talk About It


Ask your child:
Why is it important to know when things happened? Why could
some things not have happened any earlier than they did? What
would happen to the story of times past if our cards got all mixed
up and out of order?
Helping Your Child Learn History

49

Working With Teachers and Schools


Research has shown that children at all grade levels do better in school,
feel more confident about themselves as learners and have higher
expectations for themselves when their parents are supportive of and
involved with their education2. Here are some ways that you can stay
involved in your childs school life and support his learning of history:

What methods and materials does the school use for history
instruction? Are these methods based on sound research evidence
about what works best? Are the materials up to date? Can students
do hands-on projects? Is the curriculum well coordinated across
grades, from elementary school through middle school? Does the
curriculum include both world history and American history?

Become familiar with your childs school. During your visit, look for
clues as to whether the school values history. For example, ask yourself:
What do I see in my childs school and classroom to show that
history is valued? For example, are maps, globes, atlases, and historyrelated student work visible?

Are the history teachers highly qualified? Do they meet state certification and subject-area knowledge requirements?

How much instructional time is spent on history?

Are newspapers, news magazines and other current events publications part of the history curriculum? Are videos, computer programs
and collections of original source materials included in the study of
history? Are textbooks and other resources up to date and accurate?

How does the school measure student progress in history? What tests
does it use? Do the tests assess what students are actually taught in
their classes?

How do the students at the school score on state assessments of


history?

Does the school library contain a range of history-related materials,


including biographies and historical fiction as well as information
about local, state, national and world history, culture, societies and
geography? If so, are they recent publications?

Are activities available that parents can use at home to supplement


and support instruction?

If you feel dissatisfied with the history curriculum, talk to your childs
teacher first, and then to the principal, the head of the history
curriculum division, the school superintendent and, finally, members
of the school board. Also ask other parents for their opinions and
suggestions.

If you have not seen it, ask to look at the No Child Left Behind report
card for your school. These report cards show how your school
compares to others in the district and indicate how well it is
succeeding.

Find out about the schools history curriculum. Ask for a school
handbook. If none is available, meet with the schools principal and ask
questions such as the following:

2. Ballen, J. and Oliver Moles, O. (1994). Strong Families, Strong Schools. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Education; Henderson, A. T. and Berla, N.
(eds.) (1994). A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement. Washington, D.C.: Center for Law and Education.

50

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

51

Meet with your childs teacher. Schedule an appointment and ask how
your child approaches history. Does she enjoy it? Does she participate
actively? Does she understand assignments and do them accurately? If the
teacher indicates that your child has problems, ask for specific things that
you can do to help her. In addition, you can do
the following:
Attend parent-teacher conferences early in
the school year. Listen to what the teacher
says during these conferences and take notes.

Do students discuss their ideas and offer explanations? Do they have


opportunities to talk and work with each other as well as with the
teacher? Are they encouraged to ask questions in class? Are they
learning how to identify reliable sources of information and how to
use them to find answers?

Does the instruction show students how to connect historical


information theyre learning to their personal experiences and to
explore how past events affect their lives?

Are students regularly assigned history homework? Do assignments


involve history projects, including posters or displays, debates, mock
trials and role playing?

Does the class go on field trips that relate to history? For example,
does the class visit historical sites, history museums, local historians
or local elected officials?

Let the teacher know that you expect your


child to gain a knowledge of history, and that
you appreciate his efforts toward this goal.

Ask the teacher what his expectations are for


the class and your child.

Agree on a system of communication with


the teacher for the year, either by phone,
e-mail or through letters.

Does the teacher expectand helpall students to succeed? Does


she encourage them to set high goals for themselves? Does she listen
to their explanations and ideas?

Keep an open mind in discussing your childs


education with the teacher; ask questions about anything you dont
understand; and be frank with him about your concerns.

Compliment the teachers efforts with your child. Let her know how
much you appreciate her commitment to all the children she teaches.

Do classroom tests and assessments match national, state and local


history standards? The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
requires annual assessments of students in grades 38 according to
state-defined standards and the dissemination of the results to
parents, teachers, principals and others. Curricula based on state
standards should be taught in the classroom; thus assessment would
be aligned with instruction. In addition to assessments required by
NCLB, are teachers using many different ways to determine if
children know and understand history, including asking open-ended
questions that require thought and analysis? Do assessments match
what has been taught? Are they used appropriately to plan
instruction and evaluate student understanding?

Visit your childs classroom. In the classroom, look for the following:
Do teachers display a thorough knowledge of their subjects? Do they
relay this knowledge to students in ways that students can
understand?

52

Helping Your Child Learn History

Helping Your Child Learn History

53

Bibliography
Find out if the school has a Web site. School Web sites can provide
you with ready access to all kinds of information, including homework
assignments, class schedules, lesson plans and dates for school district and
state tests.
Get actively involved. Attend meetings of parent-teacher organizations.
If youre unable to attend, ask that the minutes of the meetings be sent to
you, or that they be made available on the schools Web site. If your
schedule permits, volunteer to help with the history program. Teachers
often send home lists of ways in which parents can get involved,
including the following:
Assisting with classroom projects;

Chaperoning field trips;

Offering to set up a history display in the schools front hallway or in


your childs classroom;

Leading hands-on lessons (if you have a good history background


yourself);

Helping in a computer laboratory or other area requiring adult


supervision; and

Starting a drive to raise money for computers, books or field trips.

Even if you cant volunteer for work at the school, you can help your
child learn when youre at home. The key question is, What can I do at
home, easily and every day, to reinforce and extend what the school is
teaching? This is the involvement that every parent can and must
provide.

In addition to those listed below in the Resources section, the following


resources were used in preparing this booklet:
Ballen, J. and Oliver Moles, O. (1994). Strong Families, Strong Schools. Washington,
D.C.: U. S. Department of Education.
Bradley Commission on History in Schools. (1991). Historical Literacy: The Case for
History in American Schools. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Cheney, Lynne V. (1987). American Memory: A Report on the Humanities in the Nations
Public Schools. Washington, D.C.: National Endowment for the Humanities.
Gibbon, Peter H. (2002). A Call to Heroism: Renewing Americas Vision of Greatness.
New York: Grove/Atlantic.
Henderson, A. T. and Berla, N. (eds.) (1994). A New Generation of Evidence: The Family
Is Critical to Student Achievement. Washington, D.C.: Center for Law and Education.
Levstik, Linda. S., and Keith R. Barton. (2000). Doing History: Investigating with Children
in Elementary and Middle Schools. Mahway, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Vansledright, Bruce. (2002). In Search of Americas Past: Learning to Read History in
Elementary School. New York: Teachers College Press.
Many of the activities are based on suggestions from the following people and
publications:
John Ahern; Claudia J. Hoone; Kathleen Hunter; Peter ODonnell, Director of
Museum Education at Old Sturbridge Village; and Janice Ribar.
Caney, Steve. (1978). Steve Caneys Kids America. New York: Workman Publishing.
Henry, Edna. (1984). Native American Cookbook. New York: Julian Messner.
Weitzman, David. (1975). My Backyard History Book. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.

54

Helping Your Child Learn History

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55

Resources
Federal Sources of Information

Web Sites

Educators Reference Desk SM


www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/res.cgi/Subjects/Social_Studies

The following Web sites are some of the many that contain great links for
both you and your child. Most provide you and your child with
information about how to search for specific information and with links to
other age-appropriate sites.

Federal Citizen Information Center, FirstGov for Kids


www.kids.gov
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)
www.ed.gov/free/index.html
Library of Congress, American Memory
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html
National Archives
www.archives.gov/

Bringing History Home, a K6 history curriculum:


www.bringinghistoryhome.org
Council for Excellence in Government, Take Your Kids to Vote:
www.excelgov.org/displayContent.asp?Keyword=prptKidsVote
Family Education Network: http://fen.com
Global Schoolnet, Global Schoolhouse:
www.globalschoolnet.org/GSH/index.html
Internet Public Library, Kids Space: www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/
Kids Web: www.npac.syr.edu/textbook/kidsweb/SocialStudies/index.html

National Park Service


www.nps.gov

KidSource: www.kidsource.com/index.html

National Register of Historic Places


www.cr.nps.gov/nr/

National Constitution Center:


www.constitutioncenter.org/index_no_flash.shtml

Mapquest: www.mapquest.com

National Council for Geographic Education: www.ncge.org


National Trust for Historic Preservation
www.nationaltrust.org/
No Child Left Behind
www.nclb.gov/parents/index.html

National Council for History Education: www.history.org/nche/


National Council for the Social Studies: www.ncss.org
National Geographic Society: www.nationalgeographic.com
National History Day: www.nationalhistoryday.org/
National Standards for Social Studies: www.ncss.org/standards/
Smithsonian Institute: www.si.edu/kids/

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Helping Your Child Learn History

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57

Publications for Parents


American Federation of Teachers. (2001). Helping Your Child Succeed: How Parents &
Families Can Communicate Better with Teachers and School Staff. Washington, D.C.
(available online at www.aft.org/parentpage/communicating/index.html.)
American Library Association. (2002). Libraries, Children and the Internet. Chicago, IL.
(Available online at www.ala.org/parents/librariesandinternet.html.)
Cholden, Harriet, Friedman, John A. and Tiersky, Ethel. (1998). The Homework
Handbook: Practical Advice You Can Use Tonight to Help Your Child Succeed Tomorrow.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Clark, Rosemary, Hawkins, Donna and Vachon, Beth. (1999). The School-Savvy
Parent: 365 Insider Tips to Help You Help Your Child. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit
Publishing.
Hickey, M. Gail. (1999). Bringing History Home: Local and Family History Projects for
Grades K-6. Boston: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
Hirsch, E. D., Jr. (1997). What Your First Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a
Good First-Grade Education. New York: Doubleday.
Kay, Peggy. (2002). Games with Books: Twenty-Eight of the Best Childrens Books and
How to Use Them to Help Your Child LearnFrom Preschool to Third Grade. New York:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
National Council for Geographic Education. (1998). How to Help Children Become
Geographically Literate. Washington, D.C. (Available online at
www.ncge.org/publications/resources/family/page7.html.)

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Helping Your Child Learn History

Rich, Dorothy. (1992). Megaskills: How Families Can Help Children Succeed
in School and Beyond (rev. ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Russell, William F. (1997). Family Learning. How to Help Your Children
Succeed in School by Learning at Home. St. Charles, IL: First Word Learning
Systems, Inc.
Wise, Jessie and Bauer, Susan Wise. (2004). The Well-Trained Mind: A
Guide to Classical Education at Home. New York: W. W. Norton.
Wolfman, Ira. (2002). Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-Line
Genealogy For Kids. New York: Workman Publishing.

Books for Children


The following is only a sampling of the many excellent books about
people, events, and issues in American and world history and
geography that your child might enjoy. Many of the books listed here
are also available in languages other than English. Your local or school
librarian can help you locate books in a particular language.
For additional titles, check your library for sources such as the listing of
notable childrens books prepared each year by the National Council for
the Social Studies and the Childrens Book Council (available online at
www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable and at
www.cbcbooks.org/html/pubs.html) and the theme-related listing of
books chosen annually by the National Endowment for the Humanities
for its We the People Bookshelf (available online at
www.wethepeople.gov/bookshelf/).

Helping Your Child Learn History

59

We have divided the books into two groups, those most appropriate for you to
read with your younger child and those that will appeal to your older child,
who reads independently. However, youre the best judge of which books are
appropriate for your child, regardless of age.

Jakes, John. Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story. Harcourt Brace.


Jezek, Alisandra. Milolis Orchids. Raintree/Streck Vaughn.
Johnson, Angela. Those Building Men. Blue Sky Press/Scholastic.

PreschoolGrade 2
American History, Culture and Biography

Monjo, F. N. The One Bad Thing about Father (biography of Theodore


Roosevelt). Harper.

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Sacagawea. Holiday House.


Bateman, Teresa. Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who? The Stories Behind Some of
Americas Patriotic Symbols. Holiday House.

OKelley, Mattie Lou. From the Hills of Georgia: An Autobiography in Paintings.


Little, Brown.
van Rynbach, Iris. Everything from a Nail to a Coffin. Orchard Books.

Catrow, David. We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States.
New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.

Waters, Kate. The Story of the White House. Scholastic.

Chandra, Deborah. George Washingtons Teeth. Farrar Straus & Giroux.

World History, Culture and Biography

Cheney, Lynne V. America: A Patriotic Primer. Simon & Schuster.

Bauer, Susan Wise. The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child,
Volume 1: Ancient Times. Peace Hill Press.

Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild. Harcourt Brace.


Curlee, Lynn. Brooklyn Bridge. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Grant, R. G. and Dailey, John R. Flight. Smithsonian Institution.

Berger, Melvin and Berger, Gilda. Mummies of the Pharaohs: Exploring the
Valley of the Kings. National Geographic Society.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine,
1845-1850. Houghton Mifflin.

Harness, Cheryl. Three Young Pilgrims. Aladdin Library.


Hudson, Wade. Great Black Heroes; Five Bold Freedom Fighters. Cartwheel Books.

Fisher, Leonard E. Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon. Atheneum.


Ganeri, Anita. Emperors and Gladiators. Peter Bedrick Books.
Musgrove, Margaret W. Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions. Dial Books for
Young Readers.

60

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Helping Your Child Learn History

61

Provensen, Alice and Provensen, Martin. The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel
with Louis Blriot. Puffin.

Jimenez, Francisco. The Christmas Gift. Houghton Mifflin.


Kurtz, Jane. River Friendly, River Wild. Simon & Schuster.

Wells, Ruth. A to Zen: A Book of Japanese Culture. Simon & Schuster.


Kuskin, Karla. Jerusalem, Shining Still. Harper Trophy.
Zimlicka, Shannon. The Colors of Russia. Carolrhoda Books.
Historical Fiction, Drama, Poetry and Games

Le Sueur, Meridel. Little Brother of the Wilderness: The Story of Johnny


Appleseed. Holy Cow! Press.

Atwell, Debby. Pearl. Walter Lorraine Books/Houghton Mifflin.

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Hiawatha. (Various editions.)

Barnes, Peter. Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse: A Tail of the U. S. Supreme Court.
Vacation Spot Publishing.

Loomis, Christine. Across America, I Love You. Hyperion Press.


MacLachlan, Patricia. All the Places to Love. HarperCollins.

Bates, Katherine Lee. America the Beautiful. Putnam.


Panagopoulos, Janie Lynn. A Place Called Home. Sleeping Bear Press.
Benchley, Nathaniel. Sam the Minuteman. Harper Trophy.
Paul, Ann Whitford. All By Herself. Harcourt Childrens Books.
Bunting, Eve. Smoky Night. Harcourt.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. The Flag We Love. Charlesbridge Publishing.
Guthrie, Woody. This Land Is Your Land. Little, Brown & Co.
Goble, Paul. Death of the Iron Horse. Macmillan.

Swift, Hildegarde. Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. Red Wagon
Books.

Hall, Donald. Ox-Cart Man. Puffin.

Turner, Ann. Abe Lincoln Remembers. HarperCollins Childrens Books.

High, Linda Oatman. A Humble Life: Plain Poems. Eerdmans Books for Young
Readers.

Turkle, Brinton. Thy Friend, Obadiah. Puffin.


Zolotow, Charlotte. The Sky Was Blue. HarperCollins.

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63

Geography and Reference


Doherty, Gillian and Claybourne, Anna. The Usborne Book of Peoples of the
World. Usborne Publishing.

Busby, Peter. First to Fly: How Wilbur & Orville Wright Invented the Airplane.
Crown Books for Young Readers.
Catrow, David. We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United
States. Dial Books for Young Readers.

Hartman, Gail. As The Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps. Demco Media.
Cheney, Lynne V. A Is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women.
Knowlton, Jack. Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary. Harper Trophy.
Clapp, J. Right Here on This Spot. Houghton Mifflin.
Leedy, Loreen. Mapping Pennys World. Holt.
Coombs, K. M. Children of the Dust Days. Carolrhoda Books.
National Geographic Society. Our World: A Childs First Picture Atlas.
National Geographic Society.

Evans, Freddi Williams. A Bus of Our Own. Albert Whitman & Company.

Rumford, James. Traveling Man: The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354.


Houghton Mifflin.

Farris, Christine King. My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing up with


the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Simon & Schuster.
Fisher, Leonard E. The Statue of Liberty. Holiday House.

Grades 3 and Up
American History, Culture and Biography
Barber, James and Pastan, Amy. Smithsonian Presidents and First Ladies.
Smithsonian Institution.

Frank, Mitch. Understanding September 11th: Answering Questions about the


Attacks on America. Vikings Childrens Books.
Freedman, Russell. In The Days of the Vaqueros: Americas First True Cowboys.
Clarion.

Bartoletti, S. C. Kids on Strike! Houghton Mifflin.


Bridges, Ruby with Lundell, Margo. Through My Eyes. Scholastic.
Bruchac, J. Navajo Long Walk : Tragic Story of a Proud Peoples Forced March
from Homeland. National Geographic Press.

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Helping Your Child Learn History

Harbison, Elizabeth M. (1998). Loaves of Fun: A History of Bread with


Activities and Recipes from Around the World. Chicago Review Press.
Hakim, Joy. The First Americans. Oxford University Press. (The first volume
of the A History of US series. Other volumes include: Making Thirteen
Colonies; The New Nation; Reconstructing America; An Age of Extremes; War,
Peace, and All That Jazz 1918-1945; and All the People 1945-1999.)

Helping Your Child Learn History

65

Hoose, Phillip. We Were There, Too! Young People in U. S. History. Melanie


Kroupa Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Tanaka, Shelly. Attack on Pearl Harbor: The True Story of the Day America
Entered World War II. Hyperion Books for Children.

Jacobs, William Jay. Ellis Island: New Hope in a New Land. Atheneum.

Wallner, Alexandra. Since 1920. Doubleday.

Loewen, Nancy. We Live Here Too! Kids Talk about Good Citizenship. Picture
Window Books.

Wells, Rosemary. The House in the Mail. Puffin Books.

Macaulay, David. Mill. Houghton Mifflin.


Maestro, Betsy. Coming to America. Scholastic.

West, Delno C. and West, Jean M. Uncle Sam and Old Glory: Symbols of
America. Atheneum.
Wilson, Jon. The Declaration of Independence: Foundation of America. Childs
World.

Maestro, Betsy and Maestro, Giulio. A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our
Constitution. New York: Morrow.

Wong, J. S. Apple Pie Fourth of July. Harcourt.

Miller, Marilyn. Words That Built a Nation. Scholastic.

World History, Culture and Biography

New York Times Staff. The New York Times: A Nation Challenged, Young Readers
Edition. Scholastic.

Chrisp, Peter. Alexander the Great: The Legend of a Warrior King. DK


Publishing.

Parkes, B. School Then and Now. Newbridge Emergent Readers Series.

Coerr, Eleanor. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Puffin.

Ravitch, Diane. The American Reader: Words That Moved a Nation. Perennial.

Deedy, Carmen Agra. The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of
Denmark. Peachtree.

Reichhardt, Tony. Space Shuttle: The First 20 YearsThe Astronauts Experiences


in Their Own Words. Smithsonian Institution.

Fiedler, Joseph Daniel. Hatshepsut, His Majesty, Herself. Atheneum.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning. HarperCollins.

Hoose, Phillip. Its Our World, Too! Sunburst.

Sobel, Syl and Tanzey, Pam. How the U. S. Government Works. Barrons
Juvenile.

Macaulay, David. Pyramid. (See also City: A Story of Roman Planning and
Construction; Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction; and Castle). Houghton
Mifflin.

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Helping Your Child Learn History

67

Major, John S. The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History. Harper Trophy.

Minor, Wendell. Star in the Storm. McElderry.

Mead, Alice. Girl of Kosovo. Yearling Books.

Mistry, Nilesh. The Story of Divaali. Barefoot Books.

Nickles, Greg. Russia: The Cultures. Crabtree.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East.


Greenwillow.

Historical Fiction, Drama, Poetry and Games


Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say. Philomel Books.
Baker, Charles F., III. The Struggle for Freedom: Plays on the American Revolution,
17621788. Cobblestone.

Ryan, Pam M. The Flag We Love. Charlesbridge Publishing.

Brink, Carol R. Caddie Woodlawn. Macmillan.

Sewall, Marcia. The Pilgrims of Plimoth. New York: Aladdin Library.

Fisher, Leonard E. The Oregon Trail. (See also Tracks Across America: The Story of
the American Railroad, 1825-1900.) Holiday House.

Waters, Kate. Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast. Scholastic.

Fleischman, Paul. Seedfolks. Harper Trophy.

Wilder, Laura I. Little House in the Big Woods. (See also others in the Little
House series.) (Various editions.)

Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. (Various editions.)

Zeman, Ludmila. Gilgamesh the King. Tundra Books.

Freedman, Russell. Cowboys of the Wild West. Clarion.

Geography

Hoobler, Dorothy and Hoobler, Tom. The First Decade: Curtain Going Up.
Millbrook. (See also other books in the series about life in the twentieth
century, including The Second Decade: Voyages; The 1920s: Luck; and The 1930s:
Directions.)

Ancona, George. Cuban Kids. Cavendish.


Bang, M. Common Ground. The Blue Sky Press.

Hunt, Irene. Across Five Aprils. Berkley.

Cooper, Margaret. Exploring the Ice Age. Atheneum Books for Young
Readers.

Kennedy, Caroline. A Patriots Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories, and Speeches


Celebrating the Land We Love. Hyperion Press.

Haskins, James and Benson, Kathleen. Building a New Land: African


Americans in Colonial America. Amistad/HarperCollins Childrens Books.

68

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69

Laufer, Peter. Made in Mexico. National Geographic Society.


Leacock, Elspeth and Buckley, Susan. Places in Time: A New Atlas of American
History. Houghton Mifflin.
National Geographic Society. Historical Atlas of the United States. National
Geographic Society.
Leedy, Loreen. Blast Off to Earth! A Look at Geography. Holiday House.
Le Rochais, Marie-Ange. Desert Trek: An Eye-Opening Journey Through the
Worlds Driest Places. Walker & Company.
Smith, David J. If the World Were a Village: A Book about the Worlds People. Kids
Can Press.

Cobblestone
8008210115
(www.cobblestonepub.com)
Contains articles and stories that focus on American history. (Ages 8 and up)
Dig
8008210115
(www.cobblestonepub.com)
Focuses on archeology and on the historical and cultural aspects of various
societies. (Ages 8 and up)
Kids Discover
2126774457
(www.kidsdiscover.com)
Contains theme-related articles, many of which focus on events and
people in U.S. and world history. (Ages 5 and up)

Childrens Magazines
Appleseeds
8008210115
(www.cobblestonepub.com)
Contains articles, activities and games that develop skills and interest in
various content areas, including geography and U.S. history. (Ages 7 and up)

National Geographic for Kids


8006475463
(www.nationalgeographic.com)
Offers articles, games, and other geography-related activities. (Ages 7 and up)

Calliope
8008210115
(www.cobblestonepub.com)
Focuses on world history. (Ages 8 and up)

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Acknowledgments
Helping
Your Child Header Here
This publication was originally written by Elaine Wrisley Reed of the
National Council for History Education and edited by Jacquelyn
Zimmermann of the U.S. Department of Education. Revisions for the
current edition were completed by Elaine Reed and Fran Lehr.
Illustrations were done by Adjoa Burrows and Joe Matos.
This booklet has been made possible with the help of many people within
the Department of Education and external organizations, including, most
notably, the Office of Lynne V. Cheney and Libby OConnell of the History
Channel, who reviewed drafts, and provided materials and suggestions.
The History Channel also committed financial support towards the
production of this booklet. In addition, a special thanks to Todd May in
the Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs and Jacquelyn
Zimmermann in the Office of Public Affairs for their help in the design,
development, editing, production and distribution of this booklet.

No Child Left Behind


On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This new law represents his
education reform plan and contains the most sweeping changes to the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act since it was enacted in 1965. It
changes the federal role in education by asking Americas schools to
describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. The act
contains the presidents four basic education reform principles:

Stronger accountability for results;

Local control and flexibility;

Expanded options for parents; and

An emphasis on effective and proven teaching methods.

In sum, this lawin partnership with parents, communities, school


leadership and classroom teacherswill ensure that every child in
America receives a great education and that no child is left behind.
For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit the Web site at
www.nochildleftbehind.gov or call 1-800-USA-LEARN.

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73

U.S. Department of Education


Office of Intergovernmental
and Interagency Affairs
400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington D.C. 20202

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